Disability Appeal: The Solution for a Denied Claim

Applying for disability benefits is a gruesome and difficult process. You spent weeks gathering the necessary documents and filing the claim, and months waiting for the decision. Unfortunately, the Disability Determination Services (DDS) agency of the Social Security Administration (SSA) decided to deny your disability claim. You failed, so what’s next?

Many people who have their disability claims denied just give up, which should not be the case. If you really want to avail the helpful disability benefits of the SSA, you should exhaust all possible options – and one is to file an appeal.

Filing an appeal has its advantages and drawbacks, and you should be aware of these before you proceed with your appeal:


• Advantage – Because the disability application was already been submitted, the evaluator or judge would be familiar with your case. In rare cases, some appeals are approved shortly after they have been filed.

• Disadvantage – Because the judge will review the disability claim for the second time, you will need to provide new information, documents and proofs of your eligibility. If you submit the disability claim without including new evidence or information, the judge would not consider it.

Filing an appeal is like having a second shot to get disability benefits. But similar to the first application, the appeals process also requires a lot of hard work from you and your legal adviser. The following are the steps you should take toward a disability appeal:


• Get an appeal form from the SSA and submit it. You can submit it through mail or online. Remember to make your appeal within the 60-day limit.

• Provide additional information for your appeal. This would give your claim more chances of getting approved. You may get more recommendations from disability medical specialists, and/or vocation experts.

• Attend hearings. You should not let the lawyer walk into the hearing without you. Your statements would be badly needed to help win your claim.

Although you can expect a lot from a disability appeal, you should still be prepared to be denied. According to statistics, only 1 out of four people who file an appeal is approved to receive benefits. However, it is still not the end as there are two more stages of appeal that you can use to become an eligible recipient of disability benefits.